Doubling Charm
The Doubling Charm (Geminio) is a charm used to duplicate an object, creating an exact replica of that object. It can also be used to curse an object into multiplying repeatedly when touched, where it is called the Gemino Curse. History The Doubling Charm was invented by a pair of reclusive twin witches, Helixa and Syna Hyslop, who used it to create duplicates of every item inside their mansion, in which they lived together their whole lives. After their deaths, their relatives finally learned of this practise, discovering two, duplicated sets of hand-written instructions for the spell, one left by each twin. During the Calamity which affected the Wizarding world in the 2010s, the Gemino Curse affected various objects that were trapped as Foundables by constantly duplicating them, one such example being various Quidditch World Cup trophies. Members of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force had to cancel the spell's effects with the General Counter-Spell which allowed the Foundables to return to their original place in the world. Effects ]] There was much debate over whether a copy created with the Doubling Charm held the same value as the original, as the two items were impossible to tell apart at first, being identical to one another. However, over time, the copy tended to rot or tarnish more quickly than the original, making it possible to identify eventually. Because of this, the replicas created through this charm are considered to have no value or worth. It is also unknown as to whether or not the Doubling Charm can duplicate living or sentient beings, or if it is able to replicate an object's magical properties. Furthermore, as dictated by the Fundamental Laws of Magic, the Doubling Charm does not affect metaphysical or fundamental entities, such as the soul, as when Hermione Granger used it to create a decoy of Slytherin's Locket, the soul fragment within was not doubled, hence Lord Voldemort's death at the Battle of Hogwarts. Gemino Curse An odd characteristic of the spell, for which a solution was never found, was that only the original caster could stop the multiplication of the object. If the caster did not complete their process of casting, the object would continue multiplying indefinitely, stopping only when the copies began to break down. As such, the Doubling Charm can be used to create a single copy, or multiple, depending on the caster's desires. This indefinite replication property can be done deliberately as a security measure, where it is known as the Gemino Curse. This causes objects to begin multiplying out of control when touched by an intruder or potential thief, quickly filling up the space with worthless copies of the original object, and trapping or crushing the trespassers. Known uses Etymology Latin geminare meaning "to double". Appearances * * * * * * Notes and references de:Geminio es:Maldición Gemino fr:Maléfice de Gemino it:Maledizione Gemino pl:Gemino fi:Kaksostuskirous Category:Articles related to Horcruxes Category:Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank (1998) Category:Curses Category:Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic Category:Spells of known incantation